Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University.

Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University at a glance

Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University was established by royal charter on 5 September 1978 as Thailand's eleventh state university and the country's first -- and Southeast Asia's first -- open, distance-teaching university. From 1979 to 1984 the fledgling university shared premises with other state agencies while its own campus was built on land acquired in Pak Kret District, Nonthaburi in 1981; STOU began operating from that Chaeng Watthana Road campus on 9 December 1984, and it remains the university's home today.

STOU delivers bachelor's, master's and doctoral programs almost entirely through distance learning -- printed and digital course materials, broadcast and online media, and a network of regional and provincial study centers across Thailand that provide face-to-face tutoring and examination facilities -- rather than conventional daily lectures. That model, combined with open admission and low tuition, has made it consistently one of the largest universities in Thailand by enrollment, serving working adults, civil servants and students nationwide who cannot attend a campus-based program full-time.

Notable facts

• Thailand's first, and Southeast Asia's first, open university built around distance teaching and learning.
• Established by royal charter in 1978; has operated from its own purpose-built Chaeng Watthana Road campus in Pak Kret, Nonthaburi since 9 December 1984.
• Regularly ranks among Thailand's largest universities by student enrollment, thanks to open admission and a nationwide network of regional study centers.

Sources & References

• Ministry of Education, Thailand

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